What is the significance of protein binding?

Question

What is the implication if a drug has a different protein binding value in different people???

I'm taling about plasma proteins....

Answer 1

It would mean that different people will need different doses of the drug to bring about the same physiological/biochemical response.

Answer 2

some people are afflicted by horrible diseases caused by their body's making incorrect proteins, or no proteins where their should be some. One good example is Multiple Sclerosis, where scar tissue builds up on Myelin sheaths around nerves... myelin protein in these people has an incorrect sequence or is binding incorrectly, and causing this HORRIBLE disease.
The significance of protein binding/protein therapy is to find ways to get the correct proteins into these people, possibly correcting their disease.
A prion, a mishapen (misfolded protein) is the sole cause for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and could conceivably be cured by introducing a protein binding molecule that could correct the misfolded protein, thus curing the disease.
Lots of interesting research goes on in the world of "Proteomics", Protein and gene therapy. .etc. Its cool stuff!